Where Icons Are Made: WhiteWater’s Press Conference at IAAPA Expo 2022

The world’s largest manufacturer of water parks and attractions showcases new technological and material innovations and highlights iconic projects that opened this year as well as those in the works.

Audience around a press conference about water parks and attractions


Orlando, Florida – During a press conference at this year’s IAAPA Expo, WhiteWater introduced six new products, discussed how parks can take advantage of the concept of the Joy Economy, and showcased iconic projects that were completed this year or are in progress to make world-class destinations.

Six New Products That Elevate the Ride and Play Experience

This year, WhiteWater is launching more new products than any of the last 10 years. Rethinking how to fuse beloved experiences, as well as material and technological advancements, these products deliver huge value on many levels. Designed with environmental sustainability and the operator’s bottom line in mind, these new attractions use less water, less energy, and are built to last.

Blasterango Battle—A Race Through Multiple Sensations (IAAPA Brass Ring Award Winner)

Not just any water coaster, Blasterango Battle is an adventure in two lanes of Master Blaster drops and climbs in a conjoined flume, then through separated dark sections with colourful AquaLucent effects, finishing with side-by-side Boomerango walls for zero-G sensations. The action-packed racing experience, combined with unique theming opportunities on the two walls, is already making this water slide unmistakably iconic.

Boomerango Squeeze—An Innovative Take on a Beloved Classic (IAAPA Brass Ring Award Finalist)

The popular Boomerango wall can now be placed mid-ride instead of end of ride with the tapering flume profile of Boomerango Squeeze. This innovation not only provides a varied ride experience, it also allows the slide to be built on a hillside or uneven surface.

The Edge at Soaky Mountain Waterpark
Blasterango Battle with side-by-side Boomerango walls for zero-G sensations
Boomerango Squeeze water slide in water park
Boomerango Squeeze’s tapering flume uses geometry instead of water brakes to position raft for next feature

Walhalla—the Most Sensational 6-Person Raft Ride in the World

A fusion between the weightless sensations of Boomerango and the yo-yo-like oscillations of Manta, Walhalla is a high-energy slide with the highest climbs, highest speeds, and highest thrill while keeping operating costs low.

AquaFortress—a Modular All-in-One Water Park Structure

Completely configurable and customizable, AquaFortress is the future of multi-level play structures, capable of adapting to a park’s footprint, thrill level, and capacity requirements. Polycarbonate guardrails and Life Floor come standard for safer play and longer equipment life.

Blue and yellow water slides inside Nagashima Spa Land water park
Walhalla, a sensational Boomerango + Manta fusion
Carve deep river waves with FlowSurf

FlowSurf™—Deep River Surf Experience by FlowRider®

Answering to demand and inspired by nature, FlowSurf is an innovative deep wave system where riders surf with real surfboards. It is an ideal anchor attraction for location-based entertainment.

Clarus—Truly Clear Fiberglass

A breakthrough in production process and material technology, Clarus is truly clear fiberglass that creates see-through water slide flume parts. Unveiled at IAAPA Expo 2022, Clarus will not only revolutionize a park’s ability to entertain guests, it will also improve safety where line of sight is better maintained on kids’ slides.

Smile, Spend, Share, and Repeat—Joy with Vantage

WhiteWater’s software business unit, Vantage, dives into a concept that serves as an engine to drive the attractions industry—the Joy Economy—and how a personalized, seamless guest experience through digitization is the key to powering a cycle where consumers enjoy, smile, spend, share, and repeat. Vantage was recently recognized as one of the 10 Most Promising Digital Experience Solution Providers of 2022 by CIOReview magazine.

Season pass processing

One of the components of digitization is Vantage’s new Season Pass Processing. This automation cuts down the bulky, manual steps associated with processing a season pass at the ticket office to a few simple taps, entries, and a selfie on a guest’s phone in the comfort of anywhere they might be. By saving time, staff, and money, this technology won a 2022 Brass Ring Award for Product or Service Used by Consumers.

 

Where Icons Are Made This Year

Befitting of WhiteWater’s current campaign, “Where Icons Are Made,” the company highlights its latest projects that have achieved iconic status.

Both Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong and Wild Rivers in Irvine, California, were built on the sites of the original water parks that the locals had fond memories of. These two parks opened to great anticipation and did not disappoint with their superb ride mixes. Both these crowd-pleasing parks won World Waterpark Association’s (WWA) 2022 Leading Edge Awards—an acknowledgment of these iconic parks.

Wild Rivers in Irvine, California
Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong

Using Water Park to Promote Culture

From water slide towers to aquatic play structures to buildings, Andamanda in Phuket, Thailand is themed to tell the stories of the Andaman Sea and promote Thai culture. This unique experience creates unforgettable impressions for guests, which sets this water park apart from other entertainment venues.

Water slide tower and water park with Thai theming

Photo credits: Andamanda Phuket


Attractions Gone Viral

The attractions that have generated the most social buzz this year are “Medusa’s Slidewheel”—the first SlideWheel® in the Western Hemisphere—at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin and “The Edge” Blasterango Battle at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Tennessee. These two imposing water slides are not only thrilling and eye-catching, they have become bucket list experiences for audiences on TikTok and Instagram.

Slidewheel at night in water park
“Medusa’s Slidewheel” at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
Riders on two inner tubes on water slide in water park
“The Edge” Blasterango Battle at Soaky Mountain Waterpark

“The variety of experiences these projects bring demonstrates how a day at a water park can become a joyful, unique memory for guests,” said WhiteWater President, Paul Chutter. “These examples also show that the value of an iconic ride to drive great guest reviews cannot be underestimated.”

Icons in the Works

Looking ahead, WhiteWater is excited about some high-profile projects in progress slated to open in the coming year.

Indoor Part of Award-Winning Studio City Water Park, Macau SAR, China

With Macau diversifying its economy from casino-based to family-oriented, Studio City led by opening the city’s first full-fledged outdoor water park in 2021. With the outdoor portion having won a WWA Leading Edge Award, the indoor section promises to be equally impressive.

Year-Round Fun: Island Waterpark at Showboat Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Also diversifying its economy, Atlantic City is aiming to become a destination for families with the opening of a new water park at Showboat. This will be one of the largest indoor water parks with a retractable roof in the country.

Small AND Iconic: Kalahari Round Rock, Texas, USA

Just because it’s small doesn’t mean it can’t be iconic. The new kids’ area, Bugs Burrow, at Kalahari Resort Round Rock’s water park, will feature distinctly cute nature theming that will be adorable backdrop for pictures of children at play.

Two Water Rides at VinWonders Phú Quốc, Vietnam

Some exciting news for WhiteWater’s Water Rides division: One of the biggest theme parks in Asia will be opening two must-have attractions for amusements—Super Flume and River Raft Ride.

People at a surf pool

Surf’s Up at SURFTOWN® MUC, Munich, Germany

With the groundbreaking of the first Endless Surf pool in Europe this past summer, there will be waves and surf next year as the equipment will be meticulously tested for performance and safety before opening to the public.

“We are proud to be part of a resurgence of the industry with these notable new projects, together with great partners and clients,” said CEO Geoff Chutter. “As demand increases around the world, we’re forging ahead with our local for local approach and innovative new products that will help parks differentiate and succeed in their different markets.”


Contact sales@whitewaterwest.com to discuss how we can help your park with stand-out attractions.

Harmony Liau